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Typical architecture &Different types of

memory of microcontroller.

LECTURER: P.PIRAPURAJ
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Contents 3

 Architecture of Microcontroller.
 Different types of memory in Microcontroller.
 Volatile Memory
a) SRAM
b) DRAM
 Non-volatile Memory
a) ROM
b) PROM
c) EPROM
d) EEPROM
e) FLASH
f) NVRAM
Architecture of Microcontroller. 4

 Herewe take a look on the microcontroller architecture. It

controls the structure and memory size ultimately it
controls the operational speed of microcontroller.

 The microcontroller has two most common architectures

first one is Von Neumann architecture and second one is
Harvard architecture.
Von Neumann Architecture 5

 In this architecture, program and data are stored together

into a single memory space. This single space stores both
the data and program instructions and are accessed through
the same bus.

 Unfortunately, this implies that program and data accesses

may conflict (resulting in the famous von Neumann
bottleneck), leading to unwelcome delays.
Harvard Architecture 6

 This
architecture demands that program and data are in separate
memories which are accessed via separate buses.

 Inconsequence, code accesses do not conflict with data accesses

which improves system performance.

 As a slight drawback, this architecture requires more hardware,

since it needs two busses and either two memory chips or a dual-
ported memory (a memory chip which allows two independent
accesses at the same time).
Different types of memory in 7

Microcontroller.
 Volatilememory can be static or dynamic, and there is
quite a variety of non-volatile memory types: ROM,
PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, NV-RAM. Let’s
examine those more closely.
Different types of memory in 8

Microcontroller…
Volatile Memory 9

 Volatile memory retains its contents only so long as the

system is powered on.
 Then why should you use volatile memory at all, when
non-volatile memory is readily available?
 The problem here is that non-volatile memory is usually a
lot slower, more involved to work with, and much more
expensive. While the volatile memory in your PC has
access times in the nanosecond range, some types of non-
volatile memory will be unavailable for milliseconds after
writing one lousy byte to them.
Static RAM 10

 Disregarding the era of computers before the use of

integrated circuits, Static Random Access Memory
(SRAM) was the first type of volatile memory to be
widely used. An SRAM chip consists of an array of cells,
each capable of storing one bit of information.

 To store a bit of information, a so-called flip-flop is used,

which basically consists of six transistors. For now, the
internal structure of such a cell is beyond the scope of our
course, so let’s just view the cell as a black box.
Static RAM… 11

 Data In Din On this input, the cell accepts the one bit of data to be
stored.
 Data Out Dout As the name implies, this output reflects the bit that
is stored in the cell.
Static RAM… 12

 Read/Write R/W Via the logical value at this input, the type of
access is specified: 0 means the cell is to be written to, i.e., the
current state of Din should be stored in the cell. 1 means that the cell
is to be read, so it should set Dout to the stored value.

 Cell Select CS As long as this input is logical 0, the cell does not
accept any data present at Din and keeps its output Dout in a so-called
high resistance state, which effectively disconnects it from the rest
of the system.
13
Dynamic RAM 14

 Now, we already know that SRAM usually needs six

transistors to store one single bit of information. Of
course, the more transistors per cell are needed, the larger
the silicon area will be.

 If we could reduce the number of components needed –

say, we only use half as much transistors –, then we would
get about twice the storage capacity.
Dynamic RAM… 15

 That is what was achieved with Dynamic Random Access

Memory – DRAM: The number of transistors needed per
bit of information was brought down to one.

 This, of course, reduced the silicon area for a given cell

count. So at the same chip size, a DRAM has much larger
storage capacity compared to an SRAM.
Dynamic RAM… 16

 How does that work? Well, instead of using a lot of

transistors to build flip-flops, one bit of information is
stored in a capacitor. Remember capacitors? They kind of
work like little rechargeable batteries – you apply a
voltage across them, and they store that voltage.

 Disconnect, and you have a loaded capacitor. Connect the

pins of a loaded capacitor via a resistor, and an electrical
current will flow, discharging the capacitor.
Dynamic RAM… 17

 Now, where’s the one transistor per memory cell we talked

about, since the information is stored in a capacitor? Well,
the information is indeed stored in a capacitor, but in order
to select it for reading or writing, a transistor is needed.

 DRAM: It is much slower than SRAM.

Non-volatile Memory 18

 Contrary to SRAMs and DRAMs, non-volatile memories

retain their content even when power is cut.

 But, as already mentioned, that advantage comes at a

price: Writing non-volatile memory types is usually much
slower and comparatively complicated, often downright
annoying.
ROM 19

 Read Only Memories (ROMs) were the first types of non-

volatile semiconductor memories.

 As the name implies, you simply cannot write to a ROM.

 Ifyou want to use ROMs, you have to hand the data over
to the chip manufacturer, where a specific chip is made
containing your data.
ROM… 20

A common type of ROM is the so-called Mask-ROM

(MROM). An MROM, like any IC chip, is composed of
several layers.

 The geometrical layout of those layers defines the chip’s

function. Just like a RAM, an MROM contains a matrix of
memory cells.
PROM 21

 Of course, using ROM is an option only for mass

production – maybe tens of thousands of units, depending
on the size of the MROM.

 For prototypes, the setup cost for such a production run is

prohibitively expensive.
PROM… 22

 As an alternative, Programmable Read Only Memory

(PROM) is available. These are basically matrices of
memory cells, each containing a silicon fuse. Initially, each
fuse is intact and each cell reads as a logical 1.

 By selecting a cell and applying a short but high current

pulse, the cell’s fuse can be destroyed, thereby
programming a logical 0 into the selected cell.
PROM… 23

 Sometimes, you will encounter so-called One Time

Programmable (OTP) microcontrollers. Those contain
PROM as instruction memory on chip.

 PROMs and OTP microcontrollers are, of course, not

suitable for development, where the content of the memory
may still need to be changed.
EPROM 24

 Even after the initial development is finished and the

products are already in use, changes are often necessary.

 However,with ROMs or OTP microcontrollers, to change

the memory content the actual IC has to be replaced, as its
memory content is unalterable.
EPROM… 25

 Memory is stored in so-called field effect transistors (FETs), or

rather in one of their pins called gate. It is aptly named floating
gate.

 However, by applying an appropriately high voltage, it is possible to

charge the floating gate via a physical process called avalanche
injection.

 So, instead of burning fuses, electrons are injected into the floating
gate, thus closing the transistor switch.
EPROM… 26

 In the EPROM’s datasheet, the manufacturer specifies how

long the memory content will remain intact; usually, this is
a period of about ten years.

 By exposing the silicon chip to UV light, the process can

be accelerated. After about 30 minutes, the UV light will
have discharged the floating gates, and the EPROM is
erased.
EEPROM 27

 With EPROMs, the programming and in particular the

erasing process is quite involved.
 Toprogram them, a special programming voltage is used,
which is usually higher than the operating voltage.
 Toerase them, a UV light source is needed. Obviously, a
technological improvement was in order.
EEPROM… 28

 The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable

ROM) has all the advantages of an EPROM without the
hassle.
 Nospecial voltage is required for programming anymore,
and – as the name implies – no more UV light source is
needed for erasing.
 EEPROM works very similar to EPROM, except that the
electrons can be removed from the floating gate by
applying an elevated voltage.
Flash 29

 Now, EEPROM seems to be the perfect choice for non-

volatile memory. However, there is one drawback: It is
rather expensive.

 As a compromise, Flash EEPROM is available. Flash is a

variant of EEPROM where erasing is not possible for each
address, but only for larger blocks or even the entire
memory (erased ‘in a flash’, so to speak).
Flash… 30

 That way, the internal logic is simplified, which in turn

reduces the price considerably.

 Also, due to the fact that it is not possible to erase single

bytes, Flash EEPROM is commonly used for program, not
data memory.
Flash… 31

 Number of write/erase cycles of EEPROMs are100.000

times.

 Number of write/erase cycles of Flash-EEPROMs are

about 1.000 to 10.000 times.

 This, too, makes Flash-EEPROMs cheaper.

NVRAM 32

 Finally, there is a type of memory that combines the

advantages of volatile and non-volatile memories: Non-
Volatile RAM (NVRAM).

 This can be achieved in different ways. One is to just add a

small internal battery to an SRAM device, so that when
external power is switched off, the SRAM still retains its
content.
NVRAM… 33

 Another variant is to combine a SRAM with an EEPROM

in one package. Upon power-up, data is copied from the
EEPROM to the SRAM.

 Duringoperation, data is read from and written to the

SRAM. When power is cut off, the data is copied to the
EEPROM.
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